CULTURAL AWARENESS

Cultural Immersion Program

Had enough of school? Is learning in a controlled environment leaving you feeling controlled? Let the World be your next classroom, where the possibilities are endless and the experiences invaluable. TRAVEL CHANGES EVERYTHING.

We offer a unique, 3-month cultural immersion program for college students or recent graduates who are interested in experiencing real life outside their home culture. The programs consists of language learning and cultural education with reputable and experienced local instructors, cultural immersion through living in the local context and through authentic home-stays, and acquisition of travel “smarts” to serve as a foundation for a life-time of overseas exploration. Includes many opportunities for adventure!

    Program Locations:

Europe: Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium
     Northern Africa: Spain, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria
     Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
     East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar

Qualifications:

  • Must have a valid US Passport

  • Must have been out of the country for at least 10 days in the past

  • Must be over 18 years old

  • Must pass a cultural readiness test

  • Must pass a basic geography test

  • Must have an adventurous attitude!

Application Deadlines:

  • Spring Semester Deadline, September 1st

  • Summer Semester Deadline, January 1st

  • Fall Semester Deadline, April 1st

Typical Semester Dates (actual dates vary slightly):

  • Spring Semester, January 25th - April 24th

  • Summer Semester, May 13th – August 12th

  • Fall Semester, August 23rd – November 22nd

Overall Program Cost: 

  • Varies by location and semester, between $15,000-$18,000 USD.

  • Covers all travel, lodging, meals, tours, education, and support costs. Does not cover personal needs and souvenirs, or meals during travel to the initial overseas location.

READY TO GO? To ask questions or begin the application process today, please email the Cultural Immersion Program administrator today.

Cultural Introduction

know before you go!

As part of our travel consulting we offer a unique two-day cultural introduction seminar pertaining to countries in our program. It doesn’t take long for people to notice the unique pace, food and extraordinary monuments when overseas. Under the surface, it’s the culture that forms the foundation of its allure. It can be easy to observe some cultural intricacies, but correctly interpreting those observations is a very different skill-set. We want to help! We don’t want you to leave with only an experience of a location, while missing the most exciting asset it has to offer. . .its people!  

Topics of discussion for the cultural introduction seminar include "What is Culture Anyway?", "Caste: What to Make of It", "Food is Culture, and Delicious", "Keys to Enjoyment", "Cultural Do's and Don'ts" and more. 

To learn more or register for our next Cultural Introduction Seminar, email our directors today.

Soft Landing

A cultural learning opportunity for expats

Pilots seek to land with soft landings in order to avoid unnecessary harm or damage to the aircraft as well as the passengers. Our team has lived and conducted business on many different continents which were not our home cultures. Sadly, those landings were rarely soft. We've experienced cultural turbulence that caused damage to relationships within the host culture and affected our own personal resiliency in adjustment. We at Big Adventure Travel Co. want to help you avoid our mistakes and make your landing as soft as possible.

This offer is for the businessman/woman, as well as their families. When expats accept new assignments and tirelessly begin them, their families are left to fend for themselves as it concerns their time, social activities, and adjustment. When families struggle, so does the work and the organization as a whole. Our Soft Landing Package can mitigate that turbulence, increase resiliency, and extend longevity.

Our package includes a two-day seminar consisting of the importance of culture, how to learn it, and best practices for adjusting. One of our staff members will meet monthly with each family or individual to check-in and provide coaching for their adjustment post-seminar.